2 Best Sights in Hue, The Central Coast

This 170-foot structure, Vietnam's tallest flagpole, is one of the symbols of Hue. It was originally built in 1807 and served as the Imperial Palace's central observation post. Like much of Hue, it has a history of being destroyed. The Flag Tower was toppled during a typhoon in 1904 and rebuilt, then destroyed again in 1947, and rebuilt anew in 1948. When the North Vietnamese occupied the city during the Tet Offensive of 1968, the National Liberation Front flag flew from the Flag Tower. Visit the first tier of the flag tower for a great view of the main gate, Ngo Mon, in the North as well as Phu Van Lau (the Imperial Announcement Pavilion), the Perfume River, and Mount Ngu Binh in the South. The higher tiers are not open to the public.

The Royal Library, a wooden structure east of the Forbidden Purple City, is one of the few largely intact buildings in the Imperial City. The delicately carved architecture has survived, although there are no books or other library-like objects left.